Since the beginning of this year, 7,271 foreign citizens have expressed their intention to apply for asylum in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and currently there are 854 migrants in temporary reception centers, most of whom are from Afghanistan, Morocco and Cuba, is confirmed to Fena news agency from the Service for Relations with Foreigners.
The BiH Ministry of Security told Fena that the number of migrants has not changed significantly since the beginning of the year. During May, 582 foreign citizens, when illegally entering Bosnia and Herzegovina, expressed their intention for international protection, but no asylum applications were submitted during this month.
“This shows that the current practice of abusing asylum by migrants who use our country as a transit to their final destination continues,” the Ministry said.
As it was told to Fena in the Service for Relations with Foreigners, bearing in mind the statistical data from the previous period, we can say that during the summer period there was a slight increase in the arrival of migrants to Bosnia and Herzegovina, but at the moment they do not have information that there could be a greater influx of migrants to BiH in the coming period.
The Ministry of Security states that competent agencies for migration management in BiH are monitoring the situation on the ground and in the region as well as movement from high-risk countries, but for now there are no major changes and a possible increase in the number of migrants entering BiH.
As for Sudanese nationals, given the current situation in that country where the war between the Sudanese army and the rival Rapid Support Force (RSF) paramilitary is in full swing, the Foreign Relations Service has not registered any expressed intention to apply for asylum, but Since the beginning of the year, the BiH Ministry of Security has registered a total of 35 persons from that country.
When it comes to the facility for the temporary detention of migrants in the Lipa Private Camp, whose status will be decided by state institutions in BiH in the coming period, it is still in the construction phase and has not been put into use, but the Ministry of Security of BiH emphasizes that its eventual use be in accordance with the regulations and laws in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
From the International Organization for Migration (IOM), they assessed in an interview for Fena that the migration situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is generally stable and under control, and that there are more than 3,500 free beds in temporary reception centers in BiH.
They say that the IOM continuously monitors the situation in BiH, the region and migration trends in the world, and that thanks to the European Union as the primary donor in the response to migration and coordination with the competent BiH. institutions ensure sufficient capacities for the accommodation of migrants.
“Capacities currently exceed the number of migrants in need of accommodation, and IOM is ready to support the competent authorities in the event of a larger influx of migrants in need of protection and humanitarian services,” they stated.
